Page 30 - bon-dia-aruba-20210426

A30 world news
Dialuna 26 aPRil 2021

Death toll in fire at Iraqi COVID-19 hospital surpasses 80

(AP) — The death toll admitted to Ibh al-Khatib 45
from a massive fire at days ago with complications
a Baghdad hospital for from COVID-19.
coronavirus patients rose
to 82 Sunday as anxious “All we know is they were in
families searched for the room next to where the
missing relatives and the fire started,” he said. “Her
government suspended phone is switched off, and
key health officials for al- her family has gone to every
leged negligence. hospital trying to find them.”

The flames, described by one The fire happened as Iraq
witness as “volcanoes of fire,” grapples with a severe second
swept through the intensive wave of the coronavirus pan-
care unit of the Ibn al-Khatib demic. Daily virus cases now
Hospital, which tends exclu- average around 8,000, the
sively to COVID-19 patients highest level since Iraq be-
with severe symptoms. Of- gan recording infection rates
ficials said the blaze, which early last year. At least 15,200
also injured 110 people, was people have died of corona-
set off by an exploding oxy- virus in Iraq among at least
gen cylinder. 100,000 confirmed cases.
Nurse Maher Ahmed was The prime minster convened
called to the scene late Satur- the special cabinet session
day to help evacuate patients. It took firefighters and civil were still searching anxiously hours after the flames broke
He said he and others defense teams until early for loved ones. out. In addition to suspend-
“I could not have imagined watched helplessly as one Sunday to put out the flames. ing the health minister,
it would be a massive blaze patient struggled to breathe “Please, two of my relatives Hasan al-Tamimi, and Bagh-
like that,” he said. The flames amid the smoke. Among the dead were at are missing. ... I am going dad’s governor, the cabinet
overwhelmed the hospital's least 28 patients on ventila- to die (without news about ordered an investigation of
second floor isolation hall Widespread negligence on tors, tweeted Ali al-Bayati, a them),” posted a young the health minister and key
within three to four minutes the part of health officials is spokesman of the country's woman on social media after hospital officials responsible
of the oxygen cylinder ex- to blame for the fire, Iraq’s independent Human Rights a fruitless search for her fam- for overseeing safety mea-
ploding, he said. “Volcanoes prime minister, Mustafa al- Commission, a semi-official ily members. “I hope some- sures.
of fire.” Kadhimi, said Sunday. Fol- body. one can help us find Sadi
lowing a special cabinet Abdul Kareem and Samir The cabinet also fired the
Most of those killed suffered meeting to discuss the blaze, Paramedics carried the bod- Abdul Kareem, they were in director-general of the Bagh-
severe burns, he said. Oth- the government suspended ies, many burned beyond the ICU.” dad health department in the
ers were overcome by smoke, key officials, including the recognition, to al-Zafaraniya al-Rusafa area, where the
unwilling to leave behind rel- health minister and the gov- Hospital, where Ahmed said Roky Kareem, 30, was look- hospital is located, and the
atives hooked up to ventila- ernor of Baghdad province. forensics teams will attempt ing frantically for his friend hospital's director of engi-
tors. Ahmed said the patients Other officials, including the to identify them by matching Riyam Rahman, a pharma- neering and maintenance, ac-
could not be moved. “They hospital director, were dis- DNA samples to relatives. cist, who was visiting her cording to a statement from
would have minutes to live missed from their posts. mother at the hospital. Ri- the Health Ministry and the
without oxygen.” By midday Sunday, relatives yam's mother, Basima was prime minister's office.

Pope: Migrants begged for help at sea, shamefully ignored

(AP) — Pope Francis on scene, the deflating dinghy “Let us pray for these broth-
Sunday decried as shame- Francis called the sea trag- had partially sunk, several ers and sisters, let us interro- Human traffickers based in
ful the deaths of 130 mi- edy last week “a moment of bodies were seen in the water gate all of ourselves about this Libya continuously launch
grants in the Mediterra- shame.” and no survivors were found. latest tragedy,'' the pope said. unseaworthy dinghies and
nean, saying they pleaded Rescue centers in Libya, Mal- “It is a moment of shame.” small fishing boats filled with
for two days for help for The migrants had made a ta and Italy had been alerted, migrants hoping to reach Eu-
their overcrowded, foun- call for help on Wednesday. according to the European ”Let us pray also for those ropean shores for a better life.
dering rubber dinghy in On Thursday, when a hu- Union border protection who can help but who prefer
the sea off Libya but po- manitarian rescue boat and a agency Frontex, whose plane to look the other way," the A few hours after the pope's
tential rescuers choose “to merchant ship sailing in very had located the dinghy. pope added. denunciation, the Italian
look the other way." rough waters arrived at the coast guard said with a help
"I confess to you I am very SOS Mediterranee, a hu- of a container ship it aided an
pained by the tragedy that manitarian group whose res- ailing motorized fishing boat
once again played out in the cue ship Ocean Viking sailed filled with migrants that was
last days in the Mediterra- toward the distressed dinghy struggling in towering waves
nean,'' the pope told people amid strong winds and high and stiff winds.
in St. Peter's Square who waves, said a Libyan coast
gathered to hear his tradi- guard vessel was supposed to The vessel, which had at least
tional Sunday noon remarks. arrive at the scene but never 100 people aboard including
did. children, was spotted Satur-
"One hundred and thirty mi- day, it said. After the boat's
grants died in the sea. They Libyan coast guard officials motor quit working it was
are persons, human lives, have said bad weather and the at risk of overturning in the
who for two entire days im- need to help other migrants waves. Coast guard motor-
plored in vain for help, help in distress off the coast of the boats towed it and it arrived
that didn't arrive,'' Francis North African country meant Sunday at a port in Calabria,
said. it couldn't reach the dinghy southern Italy.
in time.